


i need you like you need me

by seameetsearth



Series: i'd give you the world if it was mine to give [1]
Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26923453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seameetsearth/pseuds/seameetsearth
Summary: The detective is laid up after a mission and Felix decides he needs to come comfort him.
Relationships: Male Detective/Felix Hauville
Series: i'd give you the world if it was mine to give [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1993717
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	i need you like you need me

Being confined to bed rest was not Rami's idea of a good time.

The supernaturals they had been assigned to go after had been tough, and it took the whole team to bring them down. With everyone's attention fully occupied, it just took one lucky hit to send Rami flying, his leg getting twisted up badly as he managed to hit a parked car in _exactly_ the wrong way. He wasn't conscious to see it, but after waking up in the facility's hospital ward, Adam had assured him that the rest of Unit Bravo had made short work of the threat afterwards. Felix had been by his side, grasping his hand almost too tightly to be comforting and shaking like a leaf in the wind. 

It wasn't his first time dealing with something like this. Rami had spent a fair deal of time cooped up in bed and working with physical therapists after his car accident in college. (The irony of his current situation was not lost on him, though he couldn't say he appreciated fate's sense of humor.) It took months before he could walk without a limp, and while it lead to his love of cycling, it was still one of the hardest things he'd ever had to endure.

That he found himself in practically the same situation again would be enough to irritate him, but it also managed to drudge up memories that he tried hard to bury, those of the worst part of his accident: that his then-boyfriend probably hadn't actually given much of a shit at all.

Bobby had put in what Rami had thought at the time to be a fair amount of effort to help him; he had taken him to his appointments, picked up whatever groceries Rami asked for, and even turned in his work to his professors for him. But whenever Rami would ask him to watch a movie with him, or help him with his at-home exercises, he would get a funny look on his face and make an excuse.

"Handsome, you know I'd love to, but this assignment is due tonight and we both know I don't have your natural aptitude."

Or, "I would, and I'm sorry, but I have to make an appearance at the consortium today and I've got to leave now if I'm gonna beat the traffic."

Or, seemingly Bobby's favorite line, "I know some _better_ exercises we could try."

Thinking back on it now, Rami wanted to kick himself. How did he not see it coming? The man had stolen his work right under his nose, and actively avoided spending any time around his invalid boyfriend he could get away with. And he was just a smarmy asshole to boot. Rami genuinely tried to always look at people's best qualities and not judge too harshly, because you never knew what someone else has been through.

But fuck Bobby Marks.

Rami sighed and turned another page in the book Nate had kindly brought for him from his own library. He might be stuck at home for a few more days, but he could at least take a break from the paperwork he had Tina send him and gain some more understanding of the supernaturals he was going to meet. It was easier to help people and gain their trust if you actually _knew_ a little bit about who they were.

He knew his current order of bed rest was necessary, and honestly, it could have been much worse; the Agency's doctors had access to magics and techniques his past physical therapists could literally only dream of, so his recovery time was astounding. Still, it had been a while since he had been put out of commission like this - the Murphy incident notwithstanding - and he was feeling antsy. If he could just go for a short ride, feel the wind rush past his face, the speed he could pick up from the downhill slope just on the edge of town - it would push all this crud back down enough that he could at least manage not to read the same paragraph for the third time.

"Something on your mind?" Rami looked up to see Nate smiling interestedly from the recliner. While he was technically well enough to stay at home rather than at the facility, he still wouldn't be able to do much if a rogue supernatural came knocking, so it had been decided that one member of Unit Bravo should be nearby at all times. 

Today was Nate's day, and Rami was always happy to see him; Nate was a good man, and Rami felt lucky to call him his friend. He was always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need, and since Rami started going on more missions with Unit Bravo, he was starting to see that a lot more people needed help than just the humans in Wayhaven; for that, he had Rami's highest respect.

"Just some bad memories, is all," Rami replied. He shifted slightly from where Nate had helped him to the couch to turn his book towards him. "Hey, is this what you had mentioned back when you discovered what the Maa-alused were? This... evolutionary divergence stuff?"

"It is," Nate looked back at him with twinkling eyes. He did seem to love imparting knowledge to the curious; Rami thought he would have made a great professor if he had the chance. "Would you like to know more about how divergence works? I have several books in my collection that - "

He was interrupted by the crash of the door slamming open and a loud, cheerful voice that could only have belonged to one particular vampire. "Rami! I come bearing gifts!"

Rami quickly closed his book and turned further to see Felix standing in the open doorway, proud as can be, several large plastic grocery bags swaying in his grip. 

"Felix!" From the corner of his eye, he could see Nate chuckle quietly to himself as he set his own book aside as well before moving to help Felix with his haul. A grin broke out unbidden across his face. "What are you doing here?"

With his hands now free of bags, Felix drew one to his heart and faked a gasp. "I can't believe that's how you greet me. I haven't seen you in two whole days!" Rami could see his eyes glittering mischievously as he walked towards him.

"He _is_ on bed rest, Felix," Nate warned from the kitchen table as he started unpacking Felix's goodies. That made Felix falter a bit on his way over, but he righted himself before coming to a stop just in front of Rami with a playful smirk.

Rami couldn't help but smirk right back. "Were circumstances different, you know I would have swept you right off your feet as soon as you came in," he said, letting his hands come up to tug Felix just that little bit closer. "As it is, I suppose you'll have to make do with this."

With that, Rami pulled Felix down by his shirt to kiss him. He kept his eyes open just long enough to see Felix close his own, then focused on moving his mouth as softly as he could over his boyfriend's. He moved one hand to Felix's side and another to the back of his neck, his thumb absentmindedly caressing the skin there. He was lost in the motions for a time, until he heard a louder shuffle of bags that somehow seemed rather pointed.

He drew back with a sheepish grin that only widened when he saw the answering beam on Felix's face, and turned around to face Nate, though his hand remained on the back of his neck, keeping him close. "Heh. Sorry about that."

"I'm not!" Felix cheered.

"I know, Felix," Nate's tone was tired, but contrasted with his soft smile and crinkled eyes as he took in the two of them. "Rami, would you mind terribly if I head back to the warehouse for the day?"

"Are you sure? You're welcome to stay," Rami said. It would be nice to have some time alone with Felix, yes, but he didn't want to make his friend feel like he was unwelcome. He could feel the sarcastic quip bubbling up within Felix and covered his mouth with his other hand, earning him a playful glare and a tongue across his palm for his trouble. He just managed to suppress a shiver and made a promise to return the favor later on.

Nate put his hands in his pockets and leaned back on his heels as he chuckled at the sight. "Thank you, detective, but it's quite all right. Now that Felix is here, I could go and prepare a selection of reading material for you to go through when you have the time."

Well, he really shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, he supposed. "I would appreciate that, Nate, thank you," Rami said warmly. He felt Felix pull away from his hands and quietly missed the warmth, even as he wiped his wet palm on his shorts.

"I'll walk him out," Felix said, sparing Rami the indignity of having a guest leave without a proper goodbye.

"See you later, Nate," he called out from the couch as they headed out. Nate gave a brief farewell before Felix closed the door behind them.

Alone for a few moments, Rami reached for the remote and his game controller from the side table and got to work searching for a suitable movie to put on. Felix was never much one for reading if he could help it, and truth be told, Rami would rather spend his time with Felix without his nose in a book.

With the movie finally chosen, he leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes while he waited for Felix to return. He wondered what they were talking about; this was a rather long goodbye for the normally brisk vampire.

Before too long, however, Felix returned, closing his poor door much more gently this time. Rami smiled as he listened to Felix take off his shoes and pad over to him. He felt hands on his face, and opened his eyes to see Felix's golden eyes gazing at him with an unusually unreadable expression.

"Hey," Felix whispered.

"Hey there," Rami whispered back.

The odd expression lingered. "How's your day been?"

"It's been fine," Rami admitted, hands coming to rest again on Felix's neck. "But it's better now that you're here."

"Ah, well, I do aim to please," he replied, a grin and a slight flush finally managing to break through whatever was making him make that face.

Rami gazed at him for a moment longer, just basking in the heat that was just beginning to build between them, before he asked, "So what gifts did you bring me, exactly?"

"That's right! I almost forgot!" Felix startled and flashed over to the kitchen table faster than Rami could track. He couldn't help but chuckle as Felix flashed back almost immediately, his arms overflowing with snacks and bottled drinks.

"I was at the warehouse trying to help Adam fill out the debriefing paperwork for the last mission," he started to explain while piling boxes of candies on the side table and passing him a drink, "aaaand I got bored of that after a while - "

" - you mean, 'almost immediately' - "

" - and I thought, 'If I'm bored here, Rami must be absolutely _dying_!'" Felix finished unloading his treats and finally sat next to him, positioning himself so that Rami could lean back across his lap towards the arm rest. "So I told Adam I had something very important I needed to discuss with you right away, in person - "

" - I cannot believe he let you get away with that excuse - "

" - well, whether or not I get away with it might depend on how well Natey manages to convince him it was necessary." He rubbed his neck, a little embarrassed. "Anyway, I thought, what could brighten up a boring day stuck at home?"

"Your glorious presence?" Rami offered.

"Naturally," Felix winked. "But also!" - He imitated a wholly unnecessary drum roll - "Movie night! And what is a movie night without human snacks? So I stopped by the store. Most of this stuff I haven't even tried," he remarked, picking up a box at random and examining it closely.

Rami gave a wide grin and resettled himself a little in Felix's lap, making sure he wasn't dropping his whole weight onto him, and moved one arm to rest behind Felix's head. "Well, I'll never say no to that."

* * *

They were about halfway through the movie - Felix making snarky comments about how stupid the main characters were, Rami chuckling and gently chiding him for paying more attention to playing with Rami's hair than the movie (which was very hypocritical when he himself was much more interested in how warm Felix was under him, Felix's hand in his hair and his other on his thigh, and how, this close, his breath smelled like the sweets he would take one bite of before wincing from the excess sugar and moving on to the next) - when his knee started acting up.

He moved one hand down to massage it and didn't notice the small groan that escaped him until it was too late.

Felix's hand stopped its ministrations in Rami's short, curly locks, and he took a brief second to mourn the loss of it before Felix asked, "Are you alright?"

Rami tried to brush his concern aside. "Ah, yeah, it's nothing. Just an old injury that flares up from time to time. Usually it's not a problem, but I haven't been able to exercise the past few days, so it just wants to remind me it's still there." He gave a light chuckle.

Normally this would be when Felix would make some smart quip, Rami would banter back, and they could get back to cuddling and enjoying the movie; or, more likely, each other.

But Felix didn't have a smart quip. In fact, he rolled his lips together as if to stop from saying something altogether, and his bright eyes were narrowed as he avoided looking at Rami at all.

This was not a face Rami cared to see.

"Felix?" He asked quietly. He didn't get an immediate response, and tried again, the hand on his knee coming up to gently grip Felix's chin and turn his head while he shifted up against the arm rest so that they were face-to-face again. "Hey, Fe?"

Those beautiful eyes were on him again, at least, even if all he got in response was a noncommittal hum.

"Why are you upset?"

"I'm not upset," Felix protested. The hand that had been playing with Rami's hair had moved to support Rami's back while he had shifted, and when he had settled back on the arm of the couch, it moved softly along his jawline, as if committing each strand of hair in his beard to memory.

Rami stared into his eyes, searching, pleading. "Please, Felix. Please don't lie to me."

Felix's eyes widened and he rolled his lips again, his hand dropping to lay on Rami's chest. "I'm..." He huffed, hesitated, and started again.

"...I'm upset because you got hurt." His big, golden eyes looked directly into Rami's own, and while he was happy Felix had let it out, he was somewhat confused. His hand dropped from Felix's chin to rest on his shoulder.

"About my knee? Fe, that was like, seven years ago - "

"No!" Felix interrupted, "not your knee, I mean, I _do_ care that it hurts, but, not that. I mean... You got hurt again, and it didn't have to happen!" His eyes were wild now, scanning across Rami's face as if he were searching for something. "If I had been able to see that hit coming - "

Ah, the last mission. Is that why Felix had come rushing over? He didn't get bored helping Adam with the debriefing paperwork - he had been upset with what had happened. "No one could have seen that coming, Felix," Rami stopped him right there. "Not you, not me. Not Adam or Nate or Mason."

"You don't know that!" Felix argued. "If I were stronger, if I were... better, I could have..."

Rami brought his hand back to Felix's face and cupped his cheek gently, letting the hand behind Felix start rubbing his neck in slow, circular motions. It seemed to help, as Felix closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to compose himself.

"I know... I know you can handle yourself, but... I can't help it. I just... I still want you to need me. Like I need you."

"I _do_ need you, Fe." The response was immediate, almost unconscious; the unfiltered truth.

Felix opened his eyes and looked back at him, his face leaning more into Rami's hand. "Yeah?" He whispered.

"Yeah. I do." Rami tried to pour every ounce of emotion he could into his gaze; he had to make sure Felix knew this, to make sure he could never doubt this again. "I need you to make paper airplanes with me in my office. I need you to sit with me in front of a warm fire when I can't sleep. I need you to make me laugh by needling at Mason until he snaps." 

Felix giggled a little at that, and the sight had Rami fighting to keep his train of thought. He felt a slow, soft smile widen as he watched.

"I need you to make me smile just by looking at me, just like now, with those gorgeous eyes of yours."

Felix was definitely smiling now, with a flush beginning to spread across his face.

Rami slid the hand that had been rubbing Felix's neck down his back, his touch feather-light, and slipped his fingers just below his waistband, letting them caress the skin there. He drew Felix's face closer and closer, until their lips were a hair's breadth apart, and he could almost taste the shudder that flowed through him. "I need you to distract me at work without even being in the room because I can't stop thinking of my hands on you and your hands on me."

Rami let the moment linger, savoring the heavy-lidded gaze that had come over Felix, before drawing back and placing a light kiss on the tip of his nose. Felix gave an indignant squawk and slapped his shoulder, but it was worth it, because they were both reduced to giggles for a long moment. When it subsided, they were gazing at each other like there was no one else in the world.

Rami continued on, his fingers still lightly tracing a path on Felix's dark skin. "I don't need you to be the strongest, or the smartest, or the most accomplished. I need you to be _you_ , Felix, because... I don't think I can be the best version of me anymore without you."

Felix's face was so warm from all the blushing that Rami was surprised he hadn't combusted yet, but to his credit, he still gave his best attempt at a smirk as he raised an eyebrow and said, "Pshh, sounds like the best version of you lost some of his work ethic. You _need_ to get distracted thinking of me at work?"

"Yes." The smirk dropped at the genuine reply. "It's a part of me that is irrevocably changed because of you. And every experience I have with you makes me a brighter, happier, better person than I was before. So the best version of me is always, in every moment, inextricably entwined with you."

Felix's eyes were shining and his lips wobbling with the effort to keep still, and Rami finally removed his other hand from Felix's waist to gently hold his face in both hands.

"I need you, Felix, every day, because you are a shining light when all else is shrouded in night; you draw out any darkness within me and burn it in your rays, and you do it so freely that I think you can't possibly even realize it's happening."

The unshed tears were threatening to fall, and Rami brushed them away with his thumbs, one at a time.

"I love you, Felix, more than I could ever truly say."

Felix sniffled and his bright, beautiful smile returned. "I think you did a p-pretty good job there," he stammered.

Rami mirrored his smile and leaned up to kiss his forehead. "And I'll do it again tomorrow if you want. And the day after that, and the day after that, too - nngh!"

Felix abruptly pulled him into a proper kiss, one hand behind his head and the other tugging on his shirt. Rami let his hands fall to Felix's shoulders and surrendered to it, immediately parting his lips to let Felix explore to his heart's content, as he had done many times before. A few tears had managed to escape, and Rami could taste the salt mixing with the sugar from the sweets in an intoxicating way.

They stayed like this for some time, the needy hunger melting into something slower and more intimate, and they didn't stop until Rami had to back off, gasping for breath. "As much as I'd like to continue this..." he panted, staring into Felix's nearly fully dilated eyes and wondering if his would match, "I think we should probably stop here. I _am_ supposed to be on bed rest, you know," he tried his best to smirk, but he knew it probably came off less sexy and more pitiable.

Felix gave a cheeky grin. "Well, I guess that means the sooner you get better, the sooner we get to play, yeah?" He tapped Rami's shoulder and said, "Bedtime then, hop to it, mister!"

Rami barked out a laugh. "Fe, it's still daylight out!"

"And you'll rest better in the bed! See, why would the doctor say that if it wasn't true, eh?" Felix's grin somehow got even wider. "Do you need me to carry you there?"

"Oh, I need you to do lots of things, Felix. For me, _to_ me..." Rami trailed off, wagging an eyebrow suggestively. He let out a very manly yelp as Felix suddenly lifted him into the air, an arm beneath his legs and the other behind his back.

"Then we better get started then, huh?"

**Author's Note:**

> They do not have sexytimes on this day, but I reserve the right to one day add a part two where they get to celebrate the detective's wellness properly.
> 
> I also want to thank everyone that left a kudo or a comment on my last fic. Y'all are super sweet and I deeply appreciate you for supporting my baby steps here.


End file.
